Blank Stares
by KariTBB
Summary: NWZ. A story about Felipe being a child, Diego being aghast and Victoria being clueless.


"Stop it! That's quite enough!" The words went unheard, but at this point, Diego plainly didn't care. With a furious and most certainly desperate leap forward, he closed the gap on the child and finally caught hold of his arm. Felipe stumbled as his momentum was stopped and briefly turned to face Diego, his eyes bulging in panic. Still, Diego could see the cogwheels turning in the kid's head as he feverishly pondered how to get away. For a splitsecond, Diego considered giving him a swat on his bottom since it was presented so conveniently naked in front of him, anyway.

Releasing his aggravation along with a slow, steady breath of air, Diego picked up the child and carried him back into the house. Felipe struggled against him, but he was still much too small and frail to give Diego any serious trouble.

Once they were back in his anteroom, Diego let Felipe carefully down into the bath water he had prepared more than twenty minutes ago. A third of it had probably been spilled onto the floor during his initial attempt to give the boy a wash, but Diego hadn't expected Felipe – meek, obedient Felipe – to put up a fight. And he certainly hadn't expected Felipe to jump out of the water and take off running without warning...

The child pouted – a rare occasion – and seemed ready to start crying. His anger ebbing away at the pitiful sight, Diego crouched down next to the tub.

"Why upset?" he signed tenderly. "Usually you like bath."

Felipe shoved his lower lip forward.

"I not not like _bath_," he contradicted. "I not like brush."

Diego frowned in confusion and Felipe mimicked Diego rubbing him with the washcloth for clarification. It was a fairly rough washcloth, Diego had to concede. However, considering the circumstances, that was basically why he had chosen it in the first place.

Felipe's lip started quivering.

"Hurt," he complained, the gesture heavy with accusation. Diego chuckled softly.

"You much dirty," he called Felipe's attention. He pinched the wings of his nose and waved his free hand about in front of his face. "And bad smell!"

The pout on Felipe's face became a tad more defiant.

"_Hurt_," he repeated with emphasis. Diego signaled him to wait and took the cloth. Felipe kept still, but warily eyed Diego's every move.

Diego seized Felipe's arm and began wiping it gently with the washrag. When he had finished, he showed Felipe the arm. It still sported several brown stains.

"Still dirt," he stressed. He then scrubbed fiercely with the cloth, riding out Felipe's shocked, fervid attempts to pull away, and presented the child with his arm again.

"Clean now. See?"

Felipe scowled at his arm, obviously greatly displeased about the fact that the harsher scrubbing had indeed removed the remainders of the dirt, because that meant Diego had a very valid point.

"Sit water," he pleaded after a moment of consideration. Diego blinked.

"You already sit water," he pointed out with lack of understanding. Felipe vigorously shook his head.

"Keep sit water. Water make dirt soft. No brush!" he begged. Diego was about to oppose, seeing as he couldn't let Felipe soak in the water for hours, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Diego?" His father entered without waiting for confirmation. His stride was wide and purposeful. Diego surged to his feet. His father was clearly irate about something.

The man walked over and calmly planted himself in front of Diego. He appeared collected, but he had his arms crossed behind his back which was never a good sign.

His father cleared his throat.

"Would you mind explaining to me why Señora Guzmán claims she just spotted a bedraggled, buck naked child running around in our rose garden?" he asked. Diego felt his ears grow hot. _Oh drat..._

"Um... I'm very sorry, Father," he mumbled sheepishly, subconsciously gesturing toward the tub and the child within it behind him. "Felipe wanted to help with mucking out the stables, but he tried to move a wheelbarrow that was way too heavy for him. He slipped and fell flat into the... um... manure."

He cast an apologetic gaze at his father, but the man's patience had reached its limit.

"Gosh darn it, Diego, Señor Guzmán is one of my primary buyers, you know that!" he bellowed. "His wife nearly fainted because she thought there was some feral child in our backyard!"

Diego riveted his eyes on the floor, knowing full well that no apology could placate his father right now.

"For heaven's sake, get that child under control!"

With that, his father turned to leave and slammed the door shut behind him. Diego let out a faint sigh before he turned to Felipe again. The boy obviously hadn't understood much of what had just happened. For once, Diego was relieved the poor thing couldn't hear.

"We need make you clean _now_," he signed seriously. Felipe was about to protest, but apparently spotted something in Diego's mien that disquieted him.

"Hurt," he objected again, though this time the sign was timid and pleading. Diego ran a weary hand through his hair. Felipe looked so afraid and miserable, but if Father caught the little one still being a rank mess later, the man's temper would surely get the better of him.

He was startled out of his thoughts when a small hand tugged at his shirt. Felipe, his eyes doleful, pointed at the empty space in the water in front of him.

"You bath with I?" he proposed hopefully. Diego exhaled audibly. The tub was barely large enough to hold them both, but knowing Felipe, the child was probably implying that he'd behave if Diego joined him. Besides... Diego looked down at himself, pulling a face. … he was already drenched, anyway.

Taking advantage of the situation, he pretended to be still undetermined.

"I join bath – you good?" he asked sternly. Felipe released a shuddering sigh, but nodded. Diego didn't let him off the hook so easily.

"I brush you?" he pressed, deciding he needed a sign for 'scrub' soon to avoid mix-ups. Felipe nodded in defeat. He looked so unhappy and piteous that Diego reached out and patted his hair.

"Agree," he gave in with a conciliatory wink.

He took off his wet clothes and lifted Felipe out of the water, not wanting to accidently step on the boy when he got in. The moment his toes dipped into the water, he cringed though – with all the time he had spent chasing after Felipe and arguing with him, the water had cooled down considerably already. However, he could hardly go fetch a fresh bucket of hot water without getting dressed again, so he sat down in the narrow wooden tub and placed Felipe between his legs. The boy thoroughly enjoyed the company, but Diego didn't waste any time. He'd play with Felipe later, but for now, he'd have to get the kid out of this coolish water as soon as possible – preferably clean and smelling nicely.

Felipe sniveled a little when Diego ran the washing cloth over his cheeks and neck, but kept his promise and let Diego proceed without any fidgeting or complaining. With the child not struggling against Diego, the whole ordeal went about much quicker. It only slowed when Felipe began jerking and kicking once Diego set about washing his feet, but Diego couldn't fault Felipe for that: The boy was awfully ticklish on his soles.

Diego couldn't help but grin at the little one's frantic tries to hold his pose – Felipe _did_ want to keep his side of the bargain, you had to give him that. The fact that he was utterly failing at it was a different matter.

When Diego grabbed Felipe's other foot, relieved that an end to the arduous task was finally in sight, another knock on the door demanded his attention.

"Diego?" The door opened and his father came in. Diego suppressed a grumble. He didn't exactly mind his father seeing him in his birthday suit, but you had to wonder why the man knocked at all if...

Diego's jaw went slack. Behind his father, Victoria strolled into the room.

The three people stared at each other for several long, agonising seconds with wide eyes and blanched faces.

"I am so very sorry, son," his father barked out at last and spun Victoria around. As he led her out, he somehow made it look as if he was galantly offering her his arm rather than forcefully escorting her out.

When the door closed behind them, Diego cradled his head in his hands and let out a long, mortified groan. The wooden planks around him reached almost up to his chest so Victoria couldn't have seen much, but somehow that didn't seem to reduce the severity of the situation. Someone ought to tell him that this had just been a bad dream! Victoria._._. Of all people in the world, why did it have to be _Victoria!_

Felipe cautiously seized Diego's fingers and plucked them off his face one by one, eyeing the man with evident worry.

"You hurt?" he signed feebly. Diego composed himself and petted Felipe's cheek.

"No, I not hurt," he assured. Given the choice, he'd much rather have broken a leg than having had _this_ happen... How was he ever supposed to look Victoria in the eye again?

As he grew aware of Felipe's unaltered, anxious expression, Diego stroked the child's hair.

"I shame," he admitted by way of explanation. "Victoria see me. I much shame..."

Felipe tilted his head in puzzlement.

"Shame why?" he wanted to know. Diego rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. No wonder the boy hadn't had any reservations about running around the whole property without any clothes on him. He had no sense of propriety it seemed.

"Women no must see men blank," he explained carefully. He didn't have a sign for 'naked', but Felipe was usually astute enough to understand Diego's intended meaning. "Men see men yes. Women see women yes. Women see men no. Big no! Big shame!"

Felipe peered after Victoria, clearly reflecting on the situation. When he had finished reflecting, he looked up at Diego again.

"You sad?" he inquired. Diego found himself nodding.

"Victoria good friend," he reminded Felipe. "Now I shame. I feel much bad."

Sharing his misery with Felipe actually made him feel a little better, but it didn't help his situation on the whole. He had to talk to Victoria. Even if he had no idea what he was supposed to say to her. Or how to stand being in the same room as her at all...

He got out of the tub, asking Felipe to finish up washing himself.

In a trice, Diego donned his still wet clothes and hurried out in search of Victoria. He found her lingering in the upper hallway, far away from the parlor where Father was sitting again with the Guzmáns. Diego couldn't blame his father for leaving Victoria to her own devices – the situation was awkward enough without his father and Victoria apologising to each other over and over again.

"Vic..." The word got stuck in his throat and he stared at her, helpless. She whirled around at the croaked sound his voice – that one syllable only – and flushed.

"Don Diego, I... I am so so sorry!"

Diego's heart fell. She hadn't called him 'Don' in years.

She wouldn't look at him, so he chose to do the same and they both greatly admired the little cabinet with the beautiful gardenias that stood next to them.

"Victoria, I... I can not begin to express my apologies. I sincerely..."

"Oh no, the fault is entirly mine!" she cut him off, placing her hand on his arm before she seemed to realise that she was _touching_ him and flinched back.

"I... My mother gave me the afternoon off so I meant to ask you if you wanted to go for a ride together, and your father said you were in your room tending to Felipe and... I am so very sorry."

Diego found himself nodding, not knowing what to say that wouldn't result in an endless loop of both of them apologising. What was there for him to say, anyway? Victoria had seen him in a manner she was never supposed to see him in – or at least not until in a couple of years – and it would forever hang between them. Where could they go from here?

A light gasp from Victoria made him glance up and he saw her staring, speechless, at something behind Diego. Surprised – because what could still shock Victoria after _that_? – he turned. All colour drained from his face. Felipe, still dripping wet and still stark naked, crept along the corridor. The boy had his head tucked low between his shoulders and, leaving tiny, damp footprints on the floor, hesitantly came up to them. Before Diego could ask him what the heck he was doing, Felipe rose his chin, stretched his arms high into the air and slowly made a full rotation around himself. Diego was too dumbfounded to react.

When the child had finished, he glanced from Diego to Victoria and back to Diego and lifted his hands.

"You good now?" he signed timidly. Diego snapped out of his daze and dropped to one knee.

"Good how?" he asked. Felipe's gaze darted to Victoria.

"Good with _she_," he explained. He seemed to shrivel a little. "You say women no must see men blank. She see you blank. You shame."

He took a deep breath and pointed up and down his unclad body.

"Now she see me blank. I much blank. You little blank. I big shame, you little shame." He tilted his head, faint hope shimmering in his dark eyes. "You good now? You no sad?"

Tongue-tied and with a sudden pang seizing his heart, Diego gathered the child into his arms. Burrowing his face briefly into Felipe's soppy mop of hair, he lifted him up and gently rested him against his shoulder, careful to ensure that the boy's front would face him rather than to Victoria. Victoria herself still stood with her mouth open, positively transfixed. Diego couldn't blame her.

"What was _that_?" she exclaimed at last. Diego found something about that sounded as if she didn't actually want an answer.

"I explained to him that it is embarrassing if women see men... um, 'exposed'," he replied somewhat huskily. "He hoped to counterbalance my embarrassment by embarrassing himself in front of you."

He shifted his arms in an attempt to restore some of Felipe's dignity by shielding his backside from Victoria's eyes.

"I, um, I'm sorry, Victoria..." was all he could force out.

When she grew aware of his fruitless endeavours to cover the boy's bare bottom, Victoria swiftly removed her shawl though and draped it over Felipe's shoulders. Felipe turned his head towards her, a hint of surprise in his eyes, though the bemusement was still heavily overshadowed by abashment. Victoria gnawed her lip, studying Felipe attentively.

"Do you know when it is okay for a boy and a girl to see each other naked?" she addressed him. She spoke slowly and made sure her lip movements were distinct, which was a good thing since Diego didn't have a free hand to sign a translation. Felipe apparently understood at least the gist of her question, because he slowly shook his head. A smile blossomed on Victoria's face.

"When they love each other," she breathed tenderly. She shot Diego a glance, her cheeks aglow. There was something playful in her gaze, but also something sheepish. She...

Diego's heart skipped a beat.

_She puckered her lips and drew nearer! _

Everything else around him seemed to fade, leaving him in a mere colourless void that masked everything but those red, velvet lips moving towards him. Victoria's lips._ Victoria Escalante's lips moving towards him!_

Diego's heart started racing. The smell of Victoria's soap drifted over – or maybe it had been there before and Diego only hadn't noticed – and she inched closer. _Closer_.

His breath stuck in his chest. Victoria rose onto her toes, resting her palm against Diego's strong arm for support, craned her neck, and... _and... _

… dropped a feathery kiss on the top of Felipe's head. When she withdrew, a silly simper was plastered onto her face.

"And I love you very much, Felipe," she said fondly. Felipe blushed at that and buried his face in Diego's shirt for a moment before he signed a polite 'thank you' at Victoria. She was still beaming, but turned towards Diego in lack of understanding.

"Diego?" she cooed when he didn't say anything on his own. "What did that sign mean?"

Diego set his jaw.

"It means 'thank you'," he replied curtly if truthfully. Something about his answer made Victoria frown and draw back.

"Diego? Is something wrong?" she wondered. Diego repositioned Felipe in his arms and started back for his room.

"No," he called over his shoulder. "I just have to towel Felipe off or else he'll catch a cold. Everything is _perfectly_ fine."

He stalked out of the hallway – iritated, and with a necessarily stiff gait. He was certainly very grateful that Victoria could not see his undraped body _now_.

* * *

_Author's notes:_

_I was working on a story when I noticed that most of my submissions are angsty or at least heavy, so I decided to write something light for a change. Somehow, the first image that popped into my head when I pondered lighthearted topics was Diego being soaked… I assumed you wouldn't mind if I stuck with that idea ;)_

_Love,_

_Kari_


End file.
